Sacred Myth in the traditional context

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Aum Namah Shivaya

 

Sacred Myth in the traditional context

 

 

The Puranas declare that one derives immense benefits by reading the

sacred stories. For instance, the Markandeya purana affirms that all

sins will be forgiven by listening to the stories of that Purana. It

also promises a long life and fulfillment of one's objectives.

Further it is stated that reading the eighteen puranas, one attains

the merits (punya) one achieves by performing an ashwamedha

sacrifice. The Agni purana too declares that great benefits are

derived from merely hearing the puranas recited, that if one arranges

for a traditional recitation of the Puranas, one lives long and

attains heaven. Likewise other puranas too affirm that great benefits

can be derived from a devout reading of the sacred stories.

 

The eighteen puranas are held so sacred each of them is associated

with one part of Vishnu's body, as the Padma purana affirms. The

same

text promises that hearing a single verse of the sacred text will

destroy the sins committed in the space of one day. One gets the

merit of donating a thousand cows to a spiritual person, just by

listening to the recital of one chapter of the text. It also affirms

that listening to a recital of the entire text can fetch the same

merit as the performance of an ashwamedha yagna, and that listening

to the recital of the text is far better than performing great

austerities or donating alms in terms of the rewards obtained.

 

Most people find it cumbersome to go through the entire body of

sacred myths. Yet others do not have sufficient time to do so. Since

the texts affirm unanimously that reading even a single story or even

a verse is highly meritorious, it would be definitely very beneficial

to read some stories at least. But how does one select the stories?

There should be some criteria.

 

In vedic astrology, there is a unique scheme of the dashas (or

planetary periods) which help an astrologer in timing the

predictions. The astrological texts also recommend certain remedial

measures for each of the planets during their periods. Based on these

criteria, I have compiled all the stories of the planets first.

 

In Brihat Parasara Hora Sastra, Maharshi Parasara reveals the

following. "The Unborn lord has many incarnations. He has

incarnated

as the nine grahas to bestow on the living beings the results due to

their Karmas. He assumed the auspicious form of grahas to annihilate

the evil forces and sustain the divine. From Sun the incarnation of

Rama, from Moon that of Krishna, from Mars that of Narasimha, from

Mercury that of Buddha, from Jupiter that of Vamana, from Venus that

of Parashurama, from Saturn that of Kurma (Tortoise), from Rahu

(north node) that of Varaha (boar), and from Ketu (south node) that

of Meena (Fish) occurred. All other incarnations than these also are

through the grahas. The beings with a predominant Cosmic

Consciousness are divine. The beings with more individual

consciousness are mortal beings. The high degree of Cosmic

Consciousness from the grahas did incarnate as Rama, Krishna, etc.

After completing the mission, the divine element from the grahas

again merges in the respective grahas. The individual portions from

the grahas take births as human beings and live their lives according

to their Karmas and again merge in the grahas. And at the time of the

Great Destruction, the grahas as well merge in Lord Vishnu."

 

Following Parasara, I decided to include the stories of the

incarnations of Vishnu for the nine planets respectively. Each of

Vishnu's incarnations is said to have taken place through a

particular graha (planet). Since there is a correspondence between

the planets and various deities, reading the stories of the deity

corresponding to the planet, is also an effective remedy. Following

certain authorities like the Uma Samhita, I decided to include

particular cantos from the Ramayana.

 

Tradition holds that devout reading of certain cantos of the Ramayana

is an effective remedy for particular planetary afflictions. So I

have written a section on selected cantos of the Ramayana. I have

followed only Valmiki's Ramayana, remaining faithful to the

original

so as to retain the original flavour. Thus this book has a collection

of sacred myths from many ancient Indian sources. And these stories

have been categorized according to the planets. Thus if you are

running the dasha or antardasha of Saturn, you can read either the

myths related to Saturn, or the story of Vishnu's incarnation as

the

turtle, or the specific canto from the Ramayana, or you can read all

of them if you have the time and enjoy doing so. Perhaps you might

want to light a lamp, burn incense, and then settle down to meditate

on the myths, having created a suitable environment. You could read

the myths related to a planet on its weekday regularly, or even daily

for a period of forty days or for the entire period or subperiod of

the planet. Perhaps you may just want to read the myths whenever you

feel like. But as you continue doing so, gradually the myth will

start working on you. The various images will become alive and

eventually be integrated, taking you closer to your true

Self.

 

In this book, I have narrated stories of the planets or their deities

mostly. Most of the stories are extracted from the Puranas. Here let

me tell you about the puranas in general. It is widely believed that

the puranas were compiled by the sage Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa. The

puranas themselves declare a slightly different version. In each age

(Mahayuga), in every Dwapara yuga, Vishnu in his form of Veda Vyasa,

incarnates to uphold the Vedas. He divides the Vedas and helps to

preserve them for the coming kali yuga. Let me acquaint you with the

time cycles as envisioned by the ancients.

 

One kalpa is one day for Brahma. A day of Brahma is followed by the

night of Brahma. At the end of one Kalpa, the Universe is dissolved.

And 14 manvantaras constitute a cycle or Kalpa. A manvantara is an

era and is ruled by a Manu. Currently we are in Vaivasvata

manvantara. 71 Mahayugas constitute one manvantara. One Mahayuga

comprises of 12000 years of the gods or, equivalently, 4,320,000

human years. In other words a Veda Vyasa is born every 4.3 million

years! In this Manvantara, twenty-eight mahayugas have elapsed. Thus

twenty-eight Veda Vyasas have incarnated so far.

 

The Vyasa for this Dwapara yuga is Krishna Dwaipayana, the son of the

illustrious sage Parasara, who is considered the father of Vedic

astrology, for it is held widely that it was he who composed the

famous astrological text `Brihat Parasara Hora Sastra'. When

Krishna

Dwaipayayana Vedavyasa sought to divide the four Vedas, he first

gathered around him four learned disciples and taught them the four

Vedas (Vishnu Purana). He later taught the puranas which are known as

the fifth veda, to his disciple Romaharshana (The Bhagavata Purana).

In the beginning, there was only one Purana and sage Vyasa divided

it into eighteen. (Matsya Purana). The original source for all

puranas is the Purana Samhita, which Vyasa taught to Romaharshana.

Romaharshana had six disciples to whom he taught it. Sumati,

Agnivarchah, Mitrayu, Shamshapayana, Akritavrana and Savarni are the

names of these disciples. Each of these disciples composed a purana

based on the Purana Samhita. (Vishnu Purana).

 

As the Linga Purana says, it could be possible that sage Parasara

taught the Purana Samhita to his son Vyasa who in turn taught it to

Romaharshana. Thus though all the puranas are attributed to Vyasadeva

himself, the texts of the eighteen puranas were written by various

disciples. This has resulted in some differences between the texts.

Moreover, most of these texts that we see today in their present and

final form, were rewritten with many interpolations between 300AD and

1000AD. But earlier versions of the puranas were in existence even

during 500BC. This also explains the differences and contradictions

between the puranas.

 

Thus to take everything in the puranas as final or authentic in a

historical or factual sense may be erroneous. At the same time, this

should not deter us from benefiting from the living wisdom. Moreover

there are many gems, facts and spiritual truths in these myths in

spite of the interpolations. Most of the interpolations are obvious

to a discerning reader in their subject and style. Some accounts are

amplified beyond their primary scope. At times efforts to glorify or

elevate particular schools of thought or deities are made in these

interpolations. But it is possible to still feel the common spirit

and the original sense of the myth.

 

Each text highlights certain things and has its own uniqueness while

all the texts have some similiarities. Some stories are differently

narrated in different puranas. I have tried to capture the spirit of

the story while remaining faithful to the original. Wherever two

puranas differed I followed the more plausible version. I also

preferred the most common version. At the same time, if a purana

could add to the richness of detail to the central story selected

from another, I borrowed such additional details. Rarely I took the

liberty of adding a comment or two where it seemed relevant. But such

comments too are based on a knowledge of other sacred texts

considered to be an integral part of the Vedic literature. The

agamas, jyotisa or astrology, the itihasas, the puranas, all support

each other.

 

Reading this book will give you the benefits of reading selected

portions of the puranas. Since it is declared by the puranas

themselves that reading even a single story or even a verse is highly

meritorious, I am convinced that a devout reading of the sacred myths

in this book will prove beneficial spiritually and astrologically

too. Since they have been categorized under the corresponding

planet's section, one may even read the myths systematically

according to the current planetary period or sub-period. Or you may

just meditate on these stories for their spiritually therapeutic

value.